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Originally Posted by dc_dux
Thats absolutely the case..unregulated (or unenforced) agricultural runoff is responsible.
I also agree that the focus on environmental degradation should be on more than C02 emissions. There are growing dead zones in the world's oceans...severe land degradation in the rainforests, etc. as a result of environmentally callous human activities. These have global impact.
And I disagree with those who say the earth will heal itself....perhaps over millennium if left alone and given responsible environmental practices both on the personal and societal level...but it will be that much harder and take that much longer.
And it cant be done by one country alone...air and water pollution dont respect national borders.
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The whole idea that the earth will 'heal itself' is a complete misconception, I think. In some cases it's an apt analogy, but in others, not so much. For instance - sure, if you cut down some of the Amazon, and then leave it alone, in 50 or 100 years, it will grow back, and you won't be able to tell the difference. But if you cut it down, turn it into farmland, use intensive agricultural methods (lots of fertilizer and weedkiller), you're changing the nature of the environment in lots and lots of ways. Some of which we can understand and predict the results of, some of which not. It isn't so much a case of our actions causing 'damage' that will be 'healed', its the fact that we're having an impact on the living systems we depend on for our current quality of life. If we change those systems drastically, will we have the same quality of life that we have now? Probably not.